Catheter stability indication

ABSTRACT

A probe having a temperature sensor on its distal portion is introduced into a fluid-filled body cavity of a subject, and an irrigating fluid passed through the probe. The temperature of the irrigating fluid exiting the probe differs from the temperature of the body cavity. Temperature readings of the irrigating fluid exiting the probe are recorded. A determination is made from the temperature readings that predetermined contact criteria between the probe and the interior wall of the body cavity are satisfied.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/860,021, filed Sep. 21, 2015, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to tissue ablation systems. More particularly,this invention relates to monitoring of contact between an invasiveprobe and tissue within the body.

2. Description of the Related Art

Cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, occur when regions ofcardiac tissue abnormally conduct electric signals to adjacent tissue,thereby disrupting the normal cardiac cycle and causing asynchronousrhythm.

Procedures for treating such arrhythmias include surgically disruptingthe origin of the signals causing the arrhythmia, as well as disruptingthe conducting pathway for such signals. By selectively ablating cardiactissue by application of energy via a catheter, it is sometimes possibleto cease or modify the propagation of unwanted electrical signals fromone portion of the heart to another. The ablation process destroys theunwanted electrical pathways by formation of non-conducting lesions.

Verification of physical electrode contact and contact stability withthe target tissue is important for controlling the delivery of ablationenergy. Attempts in the art to verify electrode contact with the tissuehave been extensive, and various techniques have been suggested. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,808 describes apparatus for treating aselected patient tissue or organ region. A probe has a contact surfacethat may be urged against the region, thereby creating contact pressure.A pressure transducer measures the contact pressure. This arrangement issaid to meet the needs of procedures in which a medical instrument mustbe placed in firm but not excessive contact with an anatomical surface,by providing information to the user of the instrument that isindicative of the existence and magnitude of the contact force.

As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,724 describes methods forcreating lesions in body tissue using segmented electrode assemblies. Inone embodiment, an electrode assembly on a catheter carries pressuretransducers, which sense contact with tissue and convey signals to apressure contact module. The module identifies the electrode elementsthat are associated with the pressure transducer signals and directs anenergy generator to convey radiofrequency (RF) energy to these elements,and not to other elements that are in contact only with blood.

A further example is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,149. This patentdescribes a method for mapping a heart using a catheter having a tipelectrode for measuring local electrical activity. In order to avoidartifacts that may arise from poor tip contact with the tissue, thecontact pressure between the tip and the tissue is measured using apressure sensor to ensure stable contact.

U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0100332 describes systems andmethods for assessing electrode-tissue contact for tissue ablation. Anelectromechanical sensor within the catheter shaft generates electricalsignals corresponding to the amount of movement of the electrode withina distal portion of the catheter shaft. An output device receives theelectrical signals for assessing a level of contact between theelectrode and a tissue.

Impedance-based methods for assessing catheter-tissue contact that areknown in the art typically rely on measurement of the magnitude of theimpedance between an electrode on the catheter and a body-surfaceelectrode. When the magnitude is below some threshold, the electrode isconsidered to be in contact with the tissue. This sort of binary contactis sensitive to changes in the impedance between the body-surfaceelectrode and the skin.

U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0288038 and 2008/0275465,both by Sauarav et al., which are herein incorporated by reference,describe an electrode catheter system, which may comprise an electrodeadapted to apply electric energy. A measurement circuit adapted tomeasure impedance may be implemented between the electrode and ground asthe electrode approaches a target tissue. A processor or processingunits may be implemented to determine a contact condition for the targettissue based at least in part on reactance of the impedance measured bythe measurement circuit. In another embodiment, the contact conditionmay be based on the phase angle of the impedance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Newer cardiac catheters include temperature-sensing elements thatprovide information on the temperature distributions of the catheter tipand the relative orientation of the catheter tissue interface. Thisinformation enables an estimation of the size of an ablation lesion. Theinventors have found that such temperature information in conjunctionwith strategically applied cooling irrigation of a target ablation sitecan be exploited prior to delivery of ablation energy to establishwhether the catheter-tissue interface is stable or not.

A known difficulty in the use of ablation energy, e.g., radiofrequencyenergy for cardiac tissue ablation is controlling local heating oftissue. There are tradeoffs between the desire to create a sufficientlylarge lesion to effectively ablate an abnormal tissue focus, or block anaberrant conduction pattern, and the undesirable effects of excessivelocal heating. If the radiofrequency device creates too small a lesion,then the medical procedure could be less effective, or could require toomuch time. On the other hand, if tissues are heated excessively thenthere could be local charring effects, coagulum, and or explosive steampops due to overheating. Such overheated areas can develop highimpedance, and may form a functional barrier to the passage of heat. Theuse of slower heating provides better control of the ablation, butunduly prolongs the procedure. Normally, irrigation precedes theablation process. Irrigation lowers the temperature at the interface,since irrigation fluid is colder than the blood and the tissue.

The transient temperature pattern and its steady state differ when thecatheter is stable against the tissue and when it is not, When thecatheter is stable only limited regions are cooled, whereas an unstablecatheter-tissue interface is characterized by a relatively moredispersed distribution of irrigation fluid. The temperature phenomenadescribed in further detail herein are observable so long as theirrigation fluid is colder than the blood/tissue temperature. Withinthis constraint, the temperature of the irrigation fluid and its flowrate mainly affect the magnitude of the differential signals, and theirsignal-to-noise ratio.

There is provided according to embodiments of the invention a method,which is carried out by introducing a probe having a temperature sensoron its distal portion into a fluid-filled body cavity of a subject, andpassing an irrigating fluid through the probe, wherein the irrigatingfluid exits the probe at its distal portion and wherein the temperatureof the irrigating fluid is different from the temperature of the bodycavity. The method is further carried out while passing the irrigatingfluid by recording temperature readings of the temperature sensor, andmaking a determination from the temperature readings that predeterminedcontact criteria between the probe and the interior wall of the bodycavity are satisfied, and thereafter alerting an operator that thecontact criteria are satisfied.

According to a further aspect of the method, passing an irrigating fluidis performed multiple times at different flow rates.

Yet another aspect of the method includes deriving a blood temperatureand an irrigation fluid temperature from the temperature readings atrespective flow rates.

According to an aspect of the method, the contact criteria comprisecriteria for stable contact between the probe and the interior wall ofthe body cavity.

According to yet another aspect of the method, the contact criteriacomprise criteria for unstable contact between the probe and theinterior wall of the body cavity.

According to still another aspect of the method, the contact criteriacomprise criteria for an absence of contact between the probe and theinterior wall of the body cavity.

According to one aspect of the method, the probe has a plurality oftemperature sensors, and recording temperature readings is performedconcurrently with the temperature sensors.

An additional aspect of the method includes thermally insulating thetemperature sensors from the irrigating fluid passing through the probe.

According to a further aspect of the method, the temperature sensors aredisposed on an external surface of the probe.

According to yet another aspect of the method, the temperature sensorsare disposed internally in the probe.

According to another aspect of the method an ablation electrode on theprobe is activated while recording temperature readings.

In yet another aspect of the method recording temperature readingsincludes recording a first temperature reading and thereafter recordinga second temperature reading. The contact criteria are satisfied whenthe second temperature reading is lower than the first temperaturereading, the method includes reporting contact between the probe withthe interior wall.

According to still another aspect of the method, the second temperaturereading is at least 1° C. lower than the first temperature reading.

According to a further aspect of the method, the second temperaturereading is at least 4° C. lower than the first temperature reading.

An additional aspect of the method the second temperature readingfurther comprise transient elevations of between 1 to 4° C. that arebetween 0.3 to 5 seconds in duration, the method includes reporting anintermittent contact between the probe and the interior wall.

Another aspect of the method includes filtering the temperature readingsto remove effects of heart rate variations and respiratory fluctuations.

There is further provided according to embodiments of the invention anapparatus, including a probe adapted for insertion into a fluid-filledbody cavity of a subject, the probe includes a temperature sensor on adistal portion of the probe, The apparatus includes a pump for passingan irrigating fluid through the probe, wherein the irrigating fluidexits the probe at the distal portion and wherein a temperature of theirrigating fluid is different from a temperature of the body cavity, anda processor operative for recording temperature readings of thetemperature sensor while the pump is passing the irrigating fluid,making a determination from the temperature readings that predeterminedcontact criteria between the probe and the interior wall of the bodycavity are satisfied, and thereafter alerting an operator that thecontact criteria are satisfied.

An ablation electrode is provided on the distal portion of the probe,which may be activated while recording temperature readings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is madeto the detailed description of the invention, by way of example, whichis to be read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein likeelements are given like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a system for performing diagnosticand therapeutic procedures in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along the length of the distal segment of acardiac catheter, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a portion of the distal segment of acardiac catheter in accordance with an alternate embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an insert for a catheter in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow-chart of a method of determining catheter-tissueinterface stability, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a calibration process in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a chart indicating typical temperature tracings when theprocedure of FIG. 5 is performed in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 8 is a chart that displays exemplary data in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a graph showing average temperature measurement as a functionof flow of irrigation fluid in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention

FIG. 10 is a graph showing average temperature measurement as a functionof flow of irrigation fluid in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 11 is a composite display comparing the graphs shown in FIG. 9 andFIG. 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a plot showing the difference between temperatures duringcontact and non-contact between the catheter and tissue taken from thedata in FIG. 11 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method of determining contact between acatheter and a tissue in accordance with an alternate embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the various principles ofthe present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art,however, that not all these details are necessarily needed forpracticing the present invention. In this instance, well-known circuits,control logic, and the details of computer program instructions forconventional algorithms and processes have not been shown in detail inorder not to obscure the general concepts unnecessarily.

Aspects of the present invention may be embodied in software programmingcode, which is typically maintained in permanent storage, such as acomputer readable medium. In a client/server environment, such softwareprogramming code may be stored on a client or a server. The softwareprogramming code may be embodied on any of a variety of knownnon-transitory media for use with a data processing system, such as adiskette, hard drive, electronic media or CD-ROM. The code may bedistributed on such media, or may be distributed to users from thememory or storage of one computer system over a network of some type tostorage devices on other computer systems for use by users of such othersystems.

System Overview.

Turning now to the drawings, reference is initially made to FIG. 1,which is a pictorial illustration of a system 10 for evaluatingelectrical activity and performing ablative procedures on a heart 12 ofa living subject, which is constructed and operative in accordance witha disclosed embodiment of the invention. The system comprises a catheter14, which is percutaneously inserted by an operator 16 through thepatient's vascular system into a chamber or vascular structure of theheart 12. The operator 16, who is typically a physician, brings thecatheter's distal tip 18 into contact with the heart wall, for example,at an ablation target site. Electrical activation maps may be prepared,according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,226,542, and6,301,496, and in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,091, whosedisclosures are herein incorporated by reference. One commercial productembodying elements of the system 10 is available as the CARTO® 3 System,available from Biosense Webster, Inc., 3333 Diamond Canyon Road, DiamondBar, Calif. 91765. This system may be modified by those skilled in theart to em-body the principles of the invention described herein.

Areas determined to be abnormal, for example by evaluation of theelectrical activation maps, can be ablated by application of thermalenergy, e.g., by passage of radiofrequency electrical current throughwires in the catheter to one or more electrodes at the distal tip 18,which apply the radiofrequency energy to the myocardium. The energy isabsorbed in the tissue, heating it to a point (typically about 50° C.)at which it permanently loses its electrical excitability. Whensuccessful, this procedure creates non-conducting lesions in the cardiactissue, which disrupt the abnormal electrical pathway causing thearrhythmia. The principles of the invention can be applied to differentheart chambers to diagnose and treat many different cardiac arrhythmias.

The catheter 14 typically comprises a handle 20, having suitablecontrols on the handle to enable the operator 16 to steer, position andorient the distal end of the catheter as desired for the ablation. Toaid the operator 16, the distal portion of the catheter 14 containsposition sensors (not shown) that provide signals to a processor 22,located in a console 24. The processor 22 may fulfill several processingfunctions as described below.

Ablation energy and electrical signals can be conveyed to and from theheart 12 through one or more ablation electrodes 32 located at or nearthe distal tip 18 via cable 34 to the console 24. Pacing signals andother control signals may be conveyed from the console 24 through thecable 34 and the electrodes 32 to the heart 12. Sensing electrodes 33,also connected to the console 24 are disposed between the ablationelectrodes 32 and have connections to the cable 34.

Wire connections 35 link the console 24 with body surface electrodes 30and other components of a positioning sub-system for measuring locationand orientation coordinates of the catheter 14. The processor 22 oranother processor (not shown) may be an element of the positioningsubsystem. The electrodes 32 and the body surface electrodes 30 may beused to measure tissue impedance at the ablation site as taught in U.S.Pat. No. 7,536,218, issued to Govari et al., which is hereinincorporated by reference. A temperature sensor (not shown), typically athermocouple or thermistor, may be mounted on or near each of theelectrodes 32. The sensors can vary in position. For example, thesensors may be external or internal to the catheter a 14. In any casethe sensors are thermally insulated from irrigating fluid passingthrough the catheter using any conventional insulating material.

The console 24 typically contains one or more ablation power generators25. The catheter 14 may be adapted to conduct ablative energy to theheart using any known ablation technique, e.g., radiofrequency energy,ultrasound energy, and laser-produced light energy. Such methods aredisclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,814,733, 6,997,924, and7,156,816, which are herein incorporated by reference.

In one embodiment, the positioning subsystem comprises a magneticposition tracking arrangement that determines the position andorientation of the catheter 14 by generating magnetic fields in apredefined working volume and sensing these fields at the catheter,using field generating coils 28. The positioning sub-system is describedin U.S. Pat. No. 7,756,576, which is hereby incorporated by reference,and in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,218.

As noted above, the catheter 14 is coupled to the console 24, whichenables the operator 16 to observe and regulate the functions of thecatheter 14. Console 24 includes a processor, preferably a computer withappropriate signal processing circuits. The processor is coupled todrive a monitor 29. The signal processing circuits typically receive,amplify, filter and digitize signals from the catheter 14, includingsignals generated by sensors such as electrical, temperature and contactforce sensors, and a plurality of location sensing electrodes (notshown) located distally in the catheter 14. The digitized signals arereceived and used by the console 24 and the positioning system tocompute the position and orientation of the catheter 14, and to analyzethe electrical signals from the electrodes.

In order to generate electroanatomic maps, the processor 22 typicallycomprises an electroanatomic map generator, an image registrationprogram, an image or data analysis program and a graphical userinterface configured to present graphical information on the monitor 29.

Typically, the system 10 includes other elements, which are not shown inthe figures for the sake of simplicity. For example, the system 10 mayinclude an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor, coupled to receive signalsfrom one or more body surface electrodes, in order to provide an ECGsynchronization signal to the console 24. As mentioned above, the system10 typically also includes a reference position sensor, either on anexternally-applied reference patch attached to the exterior of thesubject's body, or on an internally-placed catheter, which is insertedinto the heart 12 maintained in a fixed position relative to the heart12. Conventional pumps and lines for circulating liquids through thecatheter 14 for cooling the ablation site are provided. The system 10may receive image data from an external imaging modality, such as an MRIunit or the like and includes image processors that can be incorporatedin or invoked by the processor 22 for generating and displaying images.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which is a sectional view along thelength of distal segment 54 of a cardiac catheter in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The distal segment 54 is in proximity totissue 56, and is assumed to be immersed in fluid 58, so that tissue 56has a surface 29 contacting the fluid. Fluid 58 typically comprises amixture of blood and saline solution. By way of example, distal segment54 is assumed herein to be formed from an insulating substrate 60 in theshape of a cylinder 62 closed by a generally flat surface 64 at one end.Cylinder 62 has an axis of symmetry 66. As shown in FIG. 2, a curvedsection 68 joins flat surface 64 and cylinder 62. A typical diameter ofcylinder 62 is 2.5 mm, and a typical radius of the curved section 68 is0.5 mm.

Distal segment 54 comprises three electrodes 70, 72, 74, the electrodesbeing insulated from each other. The electrodes 70, 72, 74 typicallycomprise thin metal layers formed over insulating substrate 60.Typically, the distal tip has other electrodes, insulated from theelectrodes 70, 72, 74, which for simplicity are not shown in thediagram. Tip electrode 70 has the shape of a cup with a flat base, andis herein also referred to as the cup electrode. Cup electrode 70typically has a thick-ness in a range from approximately 0.1 mm toapproximately 0.2 30 mm. Second and third electrodes 70, 72, are usuallyin the form of rings, and are also known as ring electrodes.

Electrodes 70, 72, 74 are connected to a controller in console 24(FIG. 1) by wires (not shown). At least one of the electrodes is used toablate tissue 56. Typically, during ablation, heat is generated in theablating electrode and in the surrounding region. In order to dissipatethe heat, small irrigation apertures 76 in the cup electrode. Theapertures 76 typically have diameters in an approximate range 0.1-0.2mm. An irrigation tube 78 supplies saline solution to the apertures 76,and the rate of flow of the saline solution through the apertures 76(causing fluid 58 to be a mixture of blood and saline solution) iscontrolled by an irrigation module (not shown) in the console 24 (FIG.1). The saline rate of flow is typically in the range of approximately2-20 cc/minute, but may be higher or lower than this range.

A saline temperature sensor 80, typically a thermocouple, is located intube 78, and provides a signal to circuitry in the console 24 (FIG. 1)module 56 enabling the console 24 to measure a temperature Ts of thesaline solution input to apertures 76. While the saline solution may beprovided at room ambient temperature, e.g., in a range of approximately19-25° C., the solution may be heated slightly during its flow throughthe catheter, so that the final irrigation temperature may be slightlyhigher.

Typically, one or more location sensing devices 82 are incorporated inthe distal tip. Devices 82 are configured to provide signals to theprocessor 22 (FIG. 1) enabling the system to ascertain the positionand/or orientation of distal segment 54,

In one embodiment distal segment 54 comprises one or more generallysimilar temperature sensors 84 (by way of example, two are shown in thediagram) which are fixedly connected, by an insulator, to the outersurface of cup electrode 70, so as to protrude from the surface. Sensors84 have a typical diameter of approximately 0.3 mm and a length ofapproximately 1.5 mm. In one embodiment sensors 84 are thermistors NTCType AB6, produced by General Electric Company of Schenectady, N.Y. Inan alternative embodiment, sensors 84 comprise “F” type thermistorsproduced by Semitec USA Corporation of Torrance, 15 California. By wayof example, the following description assumes there are three sensors 84symmetrically distributed with respect to axis 51, and located on acurved section 86 of the cup electrode. Curved section 86 of the cupelectrode overlays curved section 68 of the distal tip. Curved section86 is in the shape of a partial toroid, typically a partial torus havinga tube radius of approximately 0.5 mm.

A magnified section 88 of FIG. 2 illustrates one of sensors 84 in moredetail. As shown in section 88, an insulator 90 separates sensors 84from curved section 86 of the cup electrode 70. Insulator 90 is selectedto provide good thermal and electrical insulation, and in someembodiments insulator 90 may comprise an adhesive that bonds sensors 84to curved section 86. Wires 92 90 connect sensors 84 to the console 24(FIG. 1).

By having sensors 84 protrude from the outer surface of cup electrode70, the sensors 84 are able to intimately contact tissue 56. Theprocessor 22 (FIG. 1) is thus able to use signals from the sensors 84 toprovide direct temperature measurements of the tissue 56 In oneembodiment the sensors 84 protrude from the outer surface of theelectrode 70 by no more than 0.7 mm, and typically by approximately 0.5mm.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which is a detailed view of a portionof the distal segment of a cardiac catheter in accordance with analternate embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the sensors donot protrude above the outer surface of the cap electrode or the outersurface of the probe. In the representative example of FIG. 3 sensor 94is flush with outer surface 96 and is insulated from fluid passingthrough lumen 98 by an insulating material 100. An advantage of thisembodiment is a reduction in the likelihood of thrombus formation on thesurface of the sensor 94.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is an isometric view of an insert102 for a catheter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.The insert 102 is adapted to be capped by cap electrode in the cathetersimilar to the electrode 70 (FIG. 2), The cap electrode is omitted forclarity.

As can be seen, protrusions 104 include annular shoulders 106 configuredto engage the inner surface of the ablation electrode. Shoulders 106 mayhave a surface that is complimentary to the internal surface of the capelectrode as appropriate. The width of shoulders 106 may be defined bythe difference between the diameter of a base portion 108 and thediameter of inner portion 110. The diameter of inner portion 110 issized to mate with sensor orifices (not shown, The protrusions 104 areconfigured to either extend outward from or are flush with the outersurface of the cap electrode. Similarly, annular shoulders 106 extendradially outward from the surface of insert 102, such that the depth ofbase portion 108 establishes a minimum separation between the innersurface of the cap electrode and surface 112 on the body of insert 102.

In this embodiment, insert 102 includes three longitudinally extendingarms 114, each having a hollow interior portion to allow routing ofleads and wires to sensors 116. Arms 114 are connected at distal crownportion 118. Passageways 120 may be formed between arms 114 as well asby a central opening in crown portion 118. Depending on the intended useand the number of sensors being provided, the configuration of insert102 may be adapted as desired, such as by featuring two or four arms,for example. In one aspect, each if the arms 114 may include at leasttwo protrusions 104 to accommodate at least two sensors, such as oneproximal and one distal.

Sensors 116 may be any combination of temperature sensors, e.g.,thermistor, thermocouple, fluoroptic probe, and the like, or electricalsensors, e.g., micro-electrodes. Any temperature sensor junctionslocated at or near the end of protrusions 104 and may be potted with athermally conductive adhesive. Any wires or leads associated withsensors 116 may be routed through arms 114 as appropriate. As will beappreciated, this configuration isolates sensors 116 from the capelectrode and the irrigation fluid. In one aspect, insert 102 serves tothermally insulate sensors 116. Accordingly, a more accurate measurementof tissue and environmental temperature may be obtained by reducingbiasing from the cap electrode or the circulating irrigation fluid. Inanother aspect, insert 102 also serves to electrically insulate sensors116 to allow more accurate measurement. Similarly, any wires and/orleads are also thermally and electrically insulated, as well as beingsealed against corrosion from the irrigation fluid. In one aspect, eachof the sensors 116 that are positioned by the protrusions 104 may beconfigured to sense a plurality of measurements. For example, one ormore sensors 116 may function both as a micro-thermistor and amicro-electrode. According to one embodiment, thermistor wires as wellas an electrode lead wire may be connected to a shell cap electrode ofeach of the sensors 116. Each wire may be isolated from each other byany suitable technique, such as by employing a suitable electricallynonconductive and non-thermally insulative material to fill the interiorof arms 114 after placement of sensors 116.

Insert 102 is stabilized within the cap electrode by portion 118, whichincludes a disc-shaped base 122 and a distally projecting key 124. Base122 may have a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the capelectrode and may be secured in any suitable manner, such as by welding126. Key 124 is configured to fit within recess 128 of insert 102,formed by the proximal portions of arms 114, to stabilize insert 102against axial rotation and possible displacement of sensors 116. Portion118 may provide a fluid-tight seal with cap electrode while routingleads and wires associated with the cap electrode, sensors 116 andirrigation fluid from lumens extending through the catheter body. Forexample, central conduit 130 may be in communication with the lumen ofthe catheter to conduct irrigation fluid to passageways 120, forcirculation within the interior of the cap electrode and eventual exitthrough apertures, e.g., apertures 76 (FIG. 2).

Catheters of the kind described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 aredescribed in further detail in commonly assigned U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication Nos. 2014/0171821 by Govari et al., 2011/10224664 to Bar-Talet al., and copending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/551,229, entitledIrrigated Ablation Catheter with Multiple Sensors, which are hereinincorporated by reference.

Operation.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, which is a flow-chart of a method ofdetermining catheter-tissue interface stability, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. In the drawings herein, process steps areshown in a particular linear sequence for clarity of presentation.However, it will be evident that many of them can be performed inparallel, asynchronously, with feedback loops, or in different orders.Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that a process couldalternatively be represented as a number of interrelated states orevents, e.g., in a state diagram. Moreover, not all illustrated processsteps may be required to implement the process.

In the discussion below, the temperature of the irrigation fluid islower than the temperature of the blood. An irrigation fluid at typicalroom temperature (25° C.) is suitable. However, the principles of theinvention are applicable, mutatis mutandis, when the irrigation fluid iswarmer than the blood.

At initial step 132, a cardiac catheter is introduced into the heart ofa subject using well-known methods. At this stage, the catheter is stillfree in the cardiac chamber and out of contact with the wall of theheart. An optional calibration may be now performed. The goal of thecalibration is to establish a temperature threshold for differentiatingbetween two conditions: A) catheter in the blood pool; and B) catheterin contact (whether intermediate or not) with tissue. It is necessary toknow the blood temperature, the irrigation fluid temperature. These canbe assumed or measured. It is also necessary to know the flow rate ofthe irrigation fluid.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6, which is a diagram illustrating theoptional calibration process in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Blood and irrigating fluid baseline temperatures arerepresented as broken lines 134, 136, respectively. Temperaturesmeasured during the procedure described below with respect to FIG. 5occur in an operational zone 138 that lies between the baselinetemperatures. The blood temperature (line 134) may be determined duringintroduction of the catheter and prior to initiating irrigation usingsensors in the catheter tip. Measurement of fluid temperature can beperformed on the irrigation line or can be derived by providingirrigation fluid at known flow rates to the catheter, and measuring theobserved temperatures. Irrigating fluid temperature (line 134) may bedetermined using either of the following two procedures. Both proceduresestablish baselines representing the temperature of the irrigatingfluid.

Returning to FIG. 5, in a first calibration option shown in block 140,after introduction of the catheter irrigation is initiated at step 142.Then, at step 144 baseline temperature readings may be obtained directlyfrom sensors in the irrigation fluid lines outside the patient's body.These readings are not influenced by blood temperature.

Additionally or alternatively, in step 142, the irrigating fluidbaseline readings may be taken concurrently with multiple temperaturesensors in the catheter tip and should be continuous for a predeterminedtime interval, e.g., 2-5 sec, in order to establish a reliable patternof variation. The predetermined time interval is not critical, and maybe varied for particular applications. It may be desirable to flush thecatheter with irrigation fluid after the time has elapsed. Thisalternative provides a baseline for a state in which the catheter isfree in the cardiac chamber and being irrigated at a typical rate. Thevalue obtained generally differs from that of the first alternative asthere is some influence of ambient blood temperature.

In a second option, shown in block 146, an irrigation fluid baselinetemperature is set by flushing the catheter at step 148 at differentflow rates, typically with saline between 2 and 20 ml/sec and, at step150, reading one or more temperature sensors during each flushing. Eachflow of the flushings can be expressed in an equation that depends onthe two knowns (the given flow rate and catheter build/design) and twounknowns blood and fluid temperature. By providing several flows theblood and fluid temperatures nay be obtained by solving a system of suchequations. The geometry and other aspects of the catheter design areimportant as they affects the parameters. The parameters of theequations are therefore empirical, and catheter-specific. Significantcatheter design issues include sensor locations (how well they sense theflow) and the design of the irrigation holes. Solution of the equationsprovides data on the fluid and the blood temperatures simultaneously. Aprecalibration process can be used for the equations.

During flushing, the temperature quickly drops from an ambient level toa threshold value (line 134; FIG. 6), which is close to the temperatureof the fluid used for flushing. Additionally or alternatively, one ormore additional sensors (not shown) may be located along the catheter inorder to monitor the saline temperature as it enters the catheter and tomeasure the temperature of the blood. Using the information provided bythe additional sensors, and solving the above-noted equations, it ispossible to estimate the expected temperature readings of temperaturesensors 152 in the blood pool prior to determining tissue contact withthe catheter.

In either of the procedures described in blocks 140, 146, onceirrigation begins, the temperature readings from the catheter tip dropfrom the blood temperature baseline (line 136; FIG. 6). For example,once a temperature reading below a predetermined threshold value, e.g.,32° C., is observed, it may be concluded that irrigation has begun.After completing step 144, or step 150 control proceeds to step 154.

In some embodiments the procedures of blocks 140, 146 are omitted, asthe transitions described below, e.g., in the discussion of FIG. 8, canbe established without reference to baselines or threshold readings. Thebaseline values may be assumed, e.g., based on experience or knowninformation. It would be known from other modalities if the patient werefebrile or hypothermic. In this case, control proceeds from initial step132 directly to step 154 as shown by line 156.

Next, at step 154 contact is established between the tissue and theablation electrode, which is typically located at the distal tip whenthe new position is attained of the catheter. This may be accomplishedby any known method, e.g., any of the methods described above and themethods taught in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20130172875,entitled “Contact Assessment Based on Phase Measurement” and U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 20140051959 entitled “Machine Learning inDetermining Catheter Electrode Contact”, which are commonly assignedherewith and are herein incorporated by reference. Irrigation is begunat step 158. When contact has been established the temperature readingsare intermediate between the blood and irrigation fluid baselines, (seeFIG. 8; time 160).

Next, at step 162, while continuing irrigation, a record of temperaturereadings is obtained. Statistics, such as the mean temperature,variance, and the morphology of the temperature records are consideredin step 162. If the catheter-tissue interface is unstable, the readingswill be unstable, even bursty (as contact with a particular locationoccurs and is lost or as the contact point moves on the tissue. In theformer case, the catheter tip is exposed to ambient blood. In the lattercase, the catheter tip contacts uncooled tissue. In either case thetemperature will rise or fall as contact is lost and reestablished in anunstable manner. Typically transient elevations of between 1 to 4° C.that are 0.3 to 5 sec in duration are seen when contact is intermittentor unstable. Such fluctuations may be due to respiration (5 sec percycle, typically), heartbeat (0.3-1 sec/cycle) and pump pulsationswithin the range of 0.3 to 5 sec/cycle.

Next, at decision step 164, it is determined if criteria for stablecontact based on the analysis of step 162 are satisfied. The criteriaare empirically determined case-by-case, according to irrigation flowrate and the temperature of the irrigation fluid and the blood. If thedetermination at decision step 164 is affirmative, then control proceedsto final step 166. A stable catheter-tissue interface is reported, andablation may begin.

If the determination at decision step 164 is negative then at decisionstep 168 it is determined if unstable or bursty readings temperaturereadings were obtained. If the determination at decision step 168 isaffirmative, then control proceeds to final step 170. An unstableelectrode-tissue interface is reported.

If the determination at decision step 168 is negative then controlproceeds to final step 172. It is concluded that the catheter tip isfree in the blood pool.

After performing one of final steps 166, 170, 172 the electrode isclassified as being in stable contact, in intermittent contact or not incontact. The classification of each electrode can be based solely on thesensor data or derived from the behavior of several sensors. Whenmultiple ablation electrodes are present, the sequence that follows step142 may be performed separately for each electrode, and a respectivecontact status is reported for each of them.

Reference is now made to FIG. 7, which is a chart indicating typicaltemperature tracings that are expected when a catheter is positioned inthe heart, when the procedure of FIG. 5 is performed in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. During time interval 174, while the endof the catheter is free in the blood pool and out of contact withtissue, a relatively high temperature is recorded by the threetemperature sensors, and there is little fluctuation. As noted above,the actual number of temperature sensors may vary in differentembodiments. During time interval 176, intermittent contact with tissueexists. The temperature is lower, and there is a greater degree offluctuation than in time interval 174. High frequency fluctuations areobserved as the catheter alternates between contact and non-contactstates. The alternations are an indication that the catheter is in closeproximity to the tissue. Importantly, this demonstrates that there isnot secure contact with the tissue In this event an alert may begenerated for the operator, The fluctuation in this case correlates withmechanical movement of the cardiac wall as it moves against the catheteras the heart beats.) During time interval 178, the catheter isforcefully in contact with the tissue. The temperature is lowest andfluctuation intermediate among the time intervals 174, 176, 178. It isbelieved that the temperature is lowest because the irrigation fluidflowing from the catheter is cooling the tissue and the isolated sensormeasures the tissue temperature. The transient temperature pattern andits steady state differ when the catheter is stable against the tissueand when it is not, When the catheter is stable only limited regions arecooled, whereas an unstable catheter-tissue interface is characterizedby a relatively more dispersed distribution of irrigation fluid.Different measured temperatures are observed at the target site thanwhen the catheter-tissue interface is stable and when it is not. Thetemperature phenomena described in further detail herein are observableso long as the irrigation fluid is colder than the blood/tissuetemperature. Within this constraint, the temperature of the irrigationfluid and its flow rate mainly affect the magnitude of the differentialsignals, and their signal-to-noise ratio.

First Alternate Embodiment

In this embodiment, the signals obtained from the temperature sensorsmay be filtered using the signal processing circuitry of the system 10(FIG. 1), e.g., by averaging the signal, or applying well-known filtersdirected to the frequencies of pump pulses, heart rate variations andrespiratory fluctuations that would obscure other significanttemperature fluctuations. In the first embodiment, high frequencyfluctuations are intentionally not filtered, as their presence providesan excellent indication of intermittent contact with the tissue.Nevertheless, a filtering mode of operation is advantageous duringperiods of intermittent contact, as shown in the following example.

Example 1

This simulated example show the effect of dragging the electrode alongthe tissue. It consists of data obtained from a test system in whichblood in a heart chamber was simulated by a water-filled aquarium(temperature 34° C.). Water at a temperature of 24° C. was pumpedthrough a catheter, e.g., the catheters shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 havingdistal temperature sensors to simulate ablation site irrigation. Tissuecontact was simulated by contacting the operator's hand to the distalportion of the catheter.

Reference is now made to FIG. 8, which is a chart that displays datafrom this example in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Thedata was recorded from three temperature sensors on the catheter.Temperature is plotted against time. Prior to time 180, the tip of thecatheter was free in the aquarium, and the sensors recorded atemperature of 34° C., with very little variation. Irrigation wasinitiated at time 180. The temperature quickly dropped into a range of25-30° C., with somewhat greater variation than prior to time 180. Heartrate and respiratory effects are necessarily omitted in this example.

At time 160 tissue contact was made with the catheter. Thereupon, thetemperature dropped precipitously by about 4° C. to about 26° C., andthereafter declined more slowly, equilibrating at slightly above 24° C.

At time 182, an unstable catheter-tissue interface was simulated bysliding the catheter along the hand. Thus resulted in a transientelevation, i.e., a temperature spike of about 4° C. that was less thanabout 2 sec in duration, as the catheter contacted uncooled tissue. Thetemperature then gradually declined and approached the temperature ofthe irrigation fluid. This maneuver was repeated at times 184, 186. Thespikes at times 182, 184, 186 reflect displacement of the catheter tipfrom a relatively stable position at one location. As the tip wasrepositioned by sliding it to another location, there was a periodduring which the tip was no longer in stable tissue contact. During thisperiod the temperature rose transiently. Then, as a new relativelystable position was attained, the temperature dropped abruptly in thespiking pattern observed at times 182, 184, 186. It should be noted thatwithout filtering the sensor signals, the spikes at times 182, 184, 186would be obscured by fluctuations (e.g., fluctuations occurring duringtime interval 176; FIG. 7) caused by the above-noted artifacts.

Then the catheter was held in place until time 188. The temperatureremained equilibrated near the temperature of the irrigation fluid, andmet predefined stability criteria that can be established by knownmethods, e.g., excursions that are less than a threshold value for acertain time interval. Then at time 188, the catheter was abruptlyremoved from the tissue. This maneuver was associated with an immediaterise in temperature and a fluctuating tracing pattern.

Without being bound by any particular theory, the following discussionis offered as a possible explanation of the observed effects in order tofacilitate understanding of the invention. When the catheter is in theblood pool it is exposed to the warm circulating blood (whether from theheart operation or from the combination of circulating irrigating flowand the blood) that maintain the catheter at a relative high temperature(typically around 34°-35°). The low temperature read by the sensors isan indication of the tissue being cooled by the catheter when it is inclose proximity to the endocardial surface. The cooling occurs in arelatively small partially confined space. Therefore when the catheterslides on the tissue, it is exposed to higher temperatures of the bloodpool and/or tissue that was not cooled by the fluid; hence the spike attime 182. When the catheter alternates between contact and blood pool itshows the spikes pattern of time interval 176 (FIG. 7).

Example 2

This example shows the relationships between contact, non-contact andflow rates. A pig was intubated and anesthetized, and catheterized usingan open irrigation catheter having the arrangement shown in FIG. f4 with| six thermocouple sensors and a contact force sensor. The conditionsthat were tested were contact and non-contact, i.e., the tip of thecatheter free in the blood pool. Contact status was verified by readingsfrom the contact force sensor and by Carto mapping. In both contact andnon-contact conditions three different irrigation flows were measured(2, 10, 25 ml/sec).

Reference is now made to FIG. 9, which is a graph in accordance with anembodiment of the invention showing average temperature measurement fromthe 6 sensors, as a function of flow of irrigation fluid at roomtemperature when there is no contact between the catheter tip and thetissue. It is evident that the measured temperature drops as the flowrate increases. Tracings 190, 192, and 193 correspond to flow rates of2, 10, and 25 ml/sec, respectively. At the 2 ml/sec rate the measuredtemperature does not differ significantly from the blood temperature. At25 ml/sec a more substantial drop is seen, with an intermediate drop at10 ml/sec.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10, which is a graph in accordance with anembodiment of the invention showing average temperature measurement fromthe 6 sensors as a function of flow of irrigation fluid at roomtemperature when there is contact between the catheter tip and thetissue. The same conditions were used as in FIG. 9. Tracings 194, 196,198 correspond to flow rates of 2, 10, and 25 ml/sec, respectivelyContact was verified when a force exceeding 15 gr was ready by thecontact force sensor. As in FIG. 9 a progression in the temperature dropis seen as the flow rate increases.

Reference is now made to FIG. 11, which is a composite display comparingthe graphs shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 in accordance with an embodimentof the invention. At very low flow rate there is a minimal effect offlow rate variation. Tracings 190, 192 are nearly identical. Atintermediate flow rates residual evidence of tissue cooling is seen.Thus, the temperature is almost the same in contact and non-contactconditions. However, the greater the flow the larger the temperatureeffect (i.e., the difference between the tracings 198, 193 (25 ml/sec)is larger than the difference between the tracings 196, 192.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12, which is a plot showing the differencebetween temperatures during contact and non-contact between the catheterand tissue taken from the data in FIG. 11 in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. A non-linear relationship is shown. Theactual relationship may vary according to the characteristics of thecatheter and the tissue being targeted; however a general non-linearincrease in temperature difference and flow rate is expected to persistin most if not all cases.

Second Alternate Embodiment

Reference is now made to FIG. 13, which is a flow chart of a method ofdetermining contact between a catheter and a tissue in accordance withan alternate embodiment of the invention. The method should beunderstood with reference to Example 2 and FIG. 12.

The procedure begins with initial step 200. The catheter is introducedinto the chamber in a non-contacting relationship with tissue. Bloodtemperature is determined as described above at zero flow rate.Temperature measurements are taken in this and subsequent steps of themethod using one of the procedures described above in the discussion ofFIG. 6.

Next, at step 202, while the catheter remains in a non-contactingrelationship with tissue, irrigation fluid is passed at a first flowrate. This may be 10 ml/sec as described above, but other rates may besubstituted.

Next, at step 204, while the catheter remains in a non-contactingrelationship with tissue, irrigation fluid is passed at a second flowrate. This may be 25 ml/sec as described above, but other rates may besubstituted.

Next, at step 206 the catheter is brought into presumptive contact withthe target tissue, typically the wall of the cardiac chamber.

Next, at step 208, while the catheter remains in a presumptive contactwith tissue, irrigation fluid is passed at the first flow rate as instep 202.

Next, at step 210, while the catheter remains in a presumptive contactwith tissue, irrigation fluid is passed at the second flow rate as instep 204.

Next, at step 212 the respective temperature differences for themeasurements during non-contact (and presumptive contact are computedfor the first and second flow rates.

Next, at decision step 214, it is determined if the differences computedin step 212 are significant. This may be done by optimizing a figure ofmerit for a pro-file of the sort shown in FIG. 12, by employing theteachings, mutatis mutandis, of commonly assigned application Ser. No.13/589,347, entitled Machine Learning in Determining Catheter ElectrodeContact, which is herein incorporated by reference. Other techniques forsuch optimizations are well known in the art. Alternatively, when thedifferences exceed a threshold value for one or both of the differencescomputed in step 212 presumptive contact may be confirmed. The actualvalues for the threshold are application dependent, as noted above.Further alternatively, other characteristics of the temperaturedifferences may be used as decisional criterion, for example the maximumvalue of Δ(temp)/Δ(flow) in the plot of FIG. 12.

If the determination at decision step 214 is affirmative, then controlproceeds to final step 216. Confirmation of presumptive contact betweenthe catheter and the tissue is reported.

If the determination at decision step 214 is negative, then controlproceeds to final step 218. Presumptive contact between the catheter andthe tissue cannot be confirmed. Presumably the catheter tip is stillfree in the chamber.

This method of determining contact is particularly useful whenconventional techniques of determining contact fail or are notavailable, for example when a fault in a contact force sensor or amalfunction in the mapping processor or circuitry occurs during aprocedure. Moreover, the method described in Example 2 and FIG. 13 canbe used to predict the temperature threshold in FIG. 8.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited to what has been particularly shown anddescribed hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present inventionincludes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various featuresdescribed hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereofthat are not in the prior art, which would occur to persons skilled inthe art upon reading the foregoing description.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising the steps of:introducing a probe into a fluid-filled body cavity of a subject, thefluid-filled body cavity having a temperature, the probe having atemperature sensor on a distal portion of the probe thereon, the bodycavity having an interior wall; passing an irrigating fluid through theprobe, wherein the irrigating fluid exits the probe at the distalportion into the body cavity, and wherein a temperature of theirrigating fluid is different from the temperature of the body cavity;while passing the irrigating fluid, recording temperature readings ofthe temperature sensor, wherein recording temperature readings comprisesrecording a first temperature reading and thereafter recording a secondtemperature reading, the contact criteria comprising the secondtemperature reading being lower than the first temperature reading, themethod further comprising reporting a contact between the probe with theinterior wall responsively to the determination and wherein the secondtemperature reading comprises transient elevations between 1 to 4degrees C. that are between 0.3 to 5 seconds in duration and the methodstill further comprising reporting an intermittent contact between theprobe and the interior wall; making a determination from the temperaturereadings that predetermined contact criteria between the probe and theinterior wall of the body cavity are satisfied; and thereafter alertingan operator that the contact criteria are satisfied.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein passing the irrigating fluid is performedmultiple times at different flow rates.
 3. The method according to claim2, further comprising deriving a blood temperature and an irrigationfluid temperature from the temperature readings at the respectivedifferent flow rates of the irrigating fluid.
 4. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the contact criteria comprise criteria for stablecontact between the probe and the interior wall of the body cavity. 5.The method according to claim 1, wherein the contact criteria comprisecriteria for unstable contact between the probe and the interior wall ofthe body cavity.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contactcriteria comprise criteria for an absence of contact between the probeand the interior wall of the body cavity.
 7. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a plurality oftemperature sensors, and recording temperature readings is performedconcurrently with the temperature sensors.
 8. The method according toclaim 7, further comprising thermally insulating the temperature sensorsfrom the irrigating fluid passing through the probe.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensors are disposed on anexternal surface of the probe.
 10. The method according to claim 7,wherein the temperature sensors are disposed internally in the probe.11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second temperaturereading is at least 1° C. lower than the first temperature reading. 12.The method according to claim 1, wherein the second temperature readingis at least 4° C. lower than the first temperature reading.
 13. Themethod according to claim 1, further comprising filtering thetemperature readings to remove effects of heart rate variations andrespiratory fluctuations.
 14. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe steps of passing an irrigating fluid and recording temperaturereadings comprise: while maintaining the probe in a non-contactingrelationship with the interior wall of the body cavity recording firsttemperature readings at first and second flow rates; while maintainingthe probe in a presumptively contacting relationship with the interiorwall of the body cavity recording second temperature readings at firstand second flow rates; computing respective differences between thefirst temperature readings and the second temperature readings at thefirst and second flow rates; and determining from the respectivedifferences whether the distal portion of the probe is in contact withthe interior wall.